Just wanted to wish all you parents out there in the northern hemisphere a happy Back to School week! Sure, it means carpooling, carpel tunneling, and corporate committeeing, but you actually get to send siblings to their separate corners and keep them there for several hours.

Now the question: What to do with the uninterrupted time? Learn a new trade? Practice an old trade? Exercise? Clean house?

In the past I have used a set of hoops to determine whether to do a show. The number one hoop it had to pass through was "Does it take me away from my family?" If so, "Does it pay enough to make that worthwhile."

Then:
Is it an age I feel comfortable performing for?
How long will I be away from home?
Is it a topic I already have?
If not, is there enough time (and reward) for writing a new topic?

I got a call from the yellow page ad guy today. Made me start thinking again. (Jumpstart your brain.) Do I want to do birthdays again this year? Is there a better place for my ad? Can I join together with other entertainers for a co-op? (No agency fee.)

For example, I found that I got more calls when I listed my birthday show under Magician than I did under family entertainment. (Yes, I also do magic.) If I call myself The Birthday Magician I should get plenty of calls.

So, you see, I'm just thinking out loud. I'm also wondering if I should sign up for piano lessons at the local community college...when can I finish my book for Axtell? Will I ever use the fitness center membership?

This sounds like a job for super scheduler! It's time to turn the grid on the Axtell Drawing Board into a weekly planning table. (That talks to me and reminds me to "just do it".

I too have been asking myself questions about what I want to do in my shows. I got tired of birthdays (actually mostly birthday parents) and have been shifting to more family events and company events.

I am only in the yellow pages because I have a business line and get a free listing. Most of my bookings now come via my website or my mail outs.

All I get from the Yellow Pages are price shoppers - the type that don't care what you do - as long as you can babysit..I mean entertain the kids.

I am in the process of going back to full time performing so I am rethinking a lot of things in terms of shows I want to do.

Interesting, Neale. We saw in Fort Mitchell how the new Zealand, Japanese and female Canadian vents had routines which were not traditional punchline stuff. Since I've thought opujr religious friends actually do the same.
Do you also do the lessons style routines such as Val Hillyer does?
It's funny If I fall off a log I end up in schools since it's such familiar territory. Would you create a figure other than your beaver if you went pro. Anywho, best of luck,Neale.

As much as I love and respect Val, I would definitely not use that approach. It works for her but that's just not me.

Mine is very traditional with lots of humour, although in the Anti-bully show for example, it is a bit more situational or discussion based. There are still lots of jokes and laughs that come out of it but we still get our message out.

I use the same appraoch in gospel shows too.